1. Field of Invention:
Vibratory finishing; vibratory surface-planing; vibratory finishing machines of unique structure particularly adapted for vibratory surface-planing of elongated parts or workpieces; finishing chambers for such machines; method of vibratory surface-planing of elongated parts or workpieces.
2. Prior Art:
The prior art is replete with vibratory finishing machines and methods of employing the same for the surface finishing of parts or workpieces, including elongated parts or workpieces. Representative U.S. Patents in this field include Balz U.S. Pat. No. 3,161,993 of Dec. 22, 1964, the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. Re. 27,084 of Mar. 2, 1971, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,624,970 of Dec. 7, 1971. Although these machines andmethods have met with considerable commercial success, there have previously been no vibratory finishing machines or methods uniquely adapted for the vibratory surface-planing of parts or workpieces, particularly elongated parts or workpieces, and especially such means and method which have not required the submergence of the part or workpiece in loose particulate finishing media employed in such machine or process. Moreover, for the surface-planing without submergence of elongated parts or workpieces, it has been found necessary that the orbital flow, ordinarily imparted to loose particulate finishing media in the course of a vibratory finishing process, for purposes of satisfactory surface-planing operation, be caused to orbit in a direction which is approximately normal to the direction usually employed during the course of previous vibratory surface finishing operations, unless the workpiece to be planed itself has an arcuate surface, so that an arcuate impression from the orbiting finishing media is not an undesirable aspect or result of the process. The most recent development in this art known to me, represented by Balz U.S. Ser. No. 389,005, filed June 16, 1982, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,499,692, also suffers from the previously-mentioned disadvantages of the necessity of submergence of the part or workpiece in the media and also from the standpoint that the direction of orbital motion of the finishing media is in the wrong direction for it to be universally applicable to the surface-planing of elongated parts.
It is apparent that the prior art leaves much to be desired from the standpoint of providing vibratory finishing apparatus which is particularly adapted for the surface-planing of elongated parts with loose particulate finishing media, finishing chambers adapted for use in such vibratory finishing apparatus, and methods for the vibratory surface-planing of elongated parts or workpieces, particularly without submergence of the part or workpiece in the loose particulate finishing media. Such shortcomings of the prior art are remedied by the provision of the finishing apparatus, finishing chamber, and finishing method of the present invention, all of which are particularly adapted for the vibratory surface-planing of elongated parts or workpieces, and most especially without the necessity of submerging the part or workpiece within the orbiting and vibrating body of loose particulate finishing media.